Which meant that he couldn't, for all the miracle of his ship and his polymorphism and his ability to span time at will. Justin wondered why his host was so helpless, decided he might as well accept the fact. "All right," he said, "so it's a stalemate--correct?" "I wouldn't be too sure," said Ortine. His eyes turned toward Deborah but he spoke to Justin. "The matter of inbred belief is or can be a vital factor. I believe you have heard, in your own enlightened era"--there was a trace of irony in the phrase--"of primitive Haitians and Africans who have succumbed to voodoo for no other reason than that they believed in it and thought someone had put a death-curse on them." "I have heard of them," said Justin. "But I've been thinking of another factor in our first discussion. We discussed your so-called madmen--but what of sane men?" "What of them?" Ortine looked troubled. "Let's look at some of the most successful," Justin offered. "For instance, Ghengis Khan. Now there was a sane man--he fought only for self preservation. And each time he won a victory he was forced to preserve it and himself by winning more. So he destroyed a continent and caused the deaths of, say, fifty million innocent people. He left marks on the world that are still with us--the deserts of Central Asia, the fear-psychology of Russia under Czar or Commissar. Do you call him insane?" Ortine made an impatient gesture, said, "Of course he was sane. It was his time and environment, not himself, that were at fault." "You're rationalizing," said Justin. "I could name some other sane men of prominence--Timur the Great, Attila, Metternich, Stalin. Find me any saner men." "Who are these strangers of whom ye speak?" asked Deborah. The men ignored her. Ortine said, "In the case of each there were extenuating circumstances...." "And," said Justin, "I can name you some sane men who, for one reason or another, failed--which can only be called a blessing to mankind. Rokh-ud-Din, the last emir of the Assassins, for instance--or Lucullus or Louis Fourteenth or Bismarck or Robespierre. Now certainly no saner, less imaginative, more honorable man than Robespierre ever lived. Yet he virtually destroyed a great revolution by his very sanity." For the first time Ortine looked seriously annoyed. He said, "On what range of experience do you base your judgment of what is beneficial for humanity or not, my dear Justin? This is ridiculous--why should I argue with you?" "Because you've got to persuade me to do your will or your entire scheme will collapse," Justin told him calmly. "You're risking the person you love most," said Ortine. "Not yet," replied Justin. "And here's something else that has me stopped--if you're so anxious to save our planet from its so-called ruin, why are you taking the very steps that will lead to its speedy destruction?"